


Safe and Secure

by Brumeier



Series: Bite Sized Fic 2017 [16]
Category: Peanuts
Genre: Fatherhood, Gen, Prompt Fill, Reminiscing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-04
Updated: 2017-03-04
Packaged: 2018-09-28 07:54:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10080242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brumeier/pseuds/Brumeier
Summary: LJ Comment Fic for Happy Thoughts prompt:Peanuts (comics), Linus Van Pelt, Memories of his blanket as an adult





	

Lucas slept curled up in a ball, blanket clutched tightly in his fist. He wasn’t a thumb-sucker, and had never been interested in a binky like his older sister, or a stuffie like his older brother. Just the green fuzzy blanket, a gift from Charlie and Janice when Lucas was born.

Linus leaned in the doorway, hands in his pockets, and watched his son sleep. It was funny how some patterns repeated themselves. 

He remembered his old blue blanket, which he’d dragged everywhere until it was in tatters. His parents had always done their own thing, and so that blanket had become his safety buffer against a big, scary world. It had been, at times, a cape, a hat, a whip, and the prize in tug-of-war games with Charlie’s dog. Mostly it had been his shield.

It made him angry, sometimes, that his parents were still so self-involved and had so little time for their children and grandchildren.

Linus knew it would be different for Lucas. The blanket would be a companion, but his parents would be there with hugs and kisses and promises to keep him safe from anything that would hurt him. Linus _wanted_ to be part of the lives of his children, considered it a privilege that he’d never take for granted. 

After one last look at Lucas, Linus went back to his own room. Bonnie was in the shower, her usual bedtime routine, so he went into the closet and pulled the old metal lunchbox down from the high shelf, the one with Captain America’s smiling face on it. Inside were various trinkets, things he’d collected over the years: bottle tops, seashells, interesting coins, Star Wars action figures, ticket stubs.

Curled in one corner was a narrow strip of blue fabric, all that remained of his blanket. He pulled it out and wrapped it around his thumb and smiled. He was a grown-up now, a husband and father, but somewhere deep inside he knew he’d always be that little boy who couldn’t face the world without his trusty blanket.

The shower cut off and Linus carefully repacked the box. Bonnie was much nicer to curl up with at night than any blanket could ever be, but it was sure nice knowing it was there. Just in case.

**Author's Note:**

>  **AN:** Like Linus, I too had a blanket that I kept with me at all times. And I still have a little strip of it in my lock box. It was white and had green elephants on it. ::grins::


End file.
